Break Through

We met with our college group tonight, as we do every Thursday.
And like most Thursdays of late, we had a smaller group.
So many of our students are working or taking night classes and aren't able to be there every week. But, in spite of that, every week we still have great discussions and enjoy spending time with each other.
We finished the book of James tonight. It has been a great journey, in both our Wednesday study and our college group, to read through this book. For being such a short book, James is jam-packed with hard-to-hear but need-to-hear truths.
As we read through the fifth chapter tonight, I enjoyed listening to the discussion around me. The thing I love about smaller groups is that everyone seems to feel a lot more at ease sharing their opinions. I have so enjoyed watching the students in this group grow over the last 7 months. To hear the things they've learned from the passage and to see the lightbulb click on behind their eyes is so exciting to me. And tonight was no different.
I think one of the biggest things they walked away with tonight was found in James 5:16:
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
And also verses 19-20:
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
I don't think it had ever really occurred to them how important it is to have people in your life that you can openly discuss your struggles with and ask for prayer, accountability, and guidance from. It was so great for me to see how excited they were at this concept.
I think it's truly freeing to be that open with another human being. God knows every single thought we think, every time we screw up, and every time we hurt over our sins...and yet, many times, we think we can hide from Him and He won't see it (which is ridiculous, but we still do it all the time). But when another person knows, it's that much harder to hide from it and pretend like it's not there.
There are very few people in my life that know about my struggles, past and present. I definitely try my best to hide the ugly parts of my life from people. But those that do know, those I have shared openly with, I have such a different bond with. I think it's because they know the real me, the true me, the WHOLE me...not just the me I let everyone see. It's so freeing to be that humble with someone, knowing that they want the best for you, and want to help you succeed in your walk. I am so thankful for those amazing people in my life.
I love watching these students experience a break through in their walks with Christ. It's so encouraging and it draws me much closer to the arms of my Savior.